Vestibule diaphragm buffer



Aug. 7, 1951 R. E. MILLER VESTIBULE DIAPHRAGM BUFFER STRUCTURE 2 Sheets-Sheet l Fild March 18. 1949 INVENTOR- Haber? Ejflzllen,

BY W W ATTORNEYS.

@WITNiSZ-% o l-aL Aug. 7, 1951 R. E. MILLER 2,563,411

VESTIBULE DIAPHRAGM BUFFER STRUCTURE Filed March 18. 1949 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR: Robert E. Miller, M W

ATTORNEYS.

111111911111 1 III/I/I/II/l;

Patented Aug. 7, 1951 VESTIBULE DIAPHRAGM BUFFER STRUCTURE Robert E. Miller, Philadelphia, Pa.

Application March 18, 1949, Serial No. 82,036

1 Claim.

This invention relates to diaphragm bufler structures for the vestibule ends of railway passenger cars. In structures of the kind referred to as ordinarily made, the folds of the canvas diaphragms, by reason of being unsupported except at the edges, have the tendency to sag and become misshapen. As a consequence, they ar subjected to rapid wear due to irregular buckling in being constantly fieyed during travel of the cars, and so require complete replacement after relativel short periods in service.

My invention has for its aim to overcome the aforementioned drawbacks. This desideratum is realized in practice, as hereinafter more fully set forth, through provision of means whereby the folds of the diaphragm are braced over consider able areas from opposite sides and thereby effectively sustained against sagging, and held to shape with maintenance of a liberally rounded curve at the region of the bends in the canvass.

In the drawings,

Fig. 1 is a fragmentary view showing the end elevation of railway passenger car with a vestibule diaphragm buffer structure conveniently embodying my invention, portions of the diaphragm face plate having been broken out at opposite sides to expose the diaphragm.

Fig. 2 is a vertical sectional view of the structure taken as indicated by the angled arrows 11-11 in Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary view in horizontal section taken as indicated by the angled arrows III-III in Fig. 1, and

Fig. 4 is a broken out fragmentary perspective view of the structure.

With more detailed reference to these illustrations, the numeral 5 designates the face plate of the diaphragm buffer structure. As shown, the face plate 5 is provided, centrally of the back of its top, with a clamp means 6 whereby it is se cured to the mid portion of a multi-ply leaf spring I extending crosswise of the vestibule end of the car body 8 over the passage opening in the latter, the opposite extremities of said spring being slidingly engaged in fixed brackets 9. The face plate 5 is thus yieldingly supported with capacity to move angularly as well as toward and away from the car end in the usual well known manner. As is common in such structures, a threshold plate l secured to the bottom cross member ll of face plate moves within a transverse clearance interval [2 between the projection i3 of the end sill [4 of the car and the fixed threshold plate at [5.

In accordance with my invention, the flexible diaphragm indicated at It is made with a single inward fold, from stout canvas or other suitable fabric. The means which I have devised for sustaining the diaphragm at opposite sides to prevent sagging thereof and to hold it to shape, comprises buttressing strips I1 and I8 which respectively extend marginally about the top and sides of the opening in the face plat 5 at the back, and about the corresponding portions of the passage opening in the car end. As shown, one edge of the diaphragm I6 is secured against the buttressing strip I1 adjacent the outer edge thereof with the aid of a narrow clamp strip [9 made fast to the face plate 5 by a series of screw bolts 20. The other edge of the diaphragm I6 is similarly secured against the buttressing strip is likewise adjacent the outer edge of the latter with the aid of a narrow clamp strip 2|, and made fast by means of a series of screw bolts 22.

It is to be particularly noted that the side faces of the buttressing strips I1 and I8 are complementally sloped to correspond with the slope of the sides of the diaphragm fold and that they are co-extensiv in area with the fold sides. The diaphragm is thus not only effectively sustained against sagging, but definitely constrained to flexure in a single plane, with maintenance of a liberal rounding at the trough of the fold, so that sharp and irregular creasing cannot possibly take place incident to in and out and angular movement of the face plate during travel of the car. By reason of being sustained as above described, the useful life of the diaphragm is greatly increased to the advantage of rendering frequent replacements, as heretofore, unnecessary.

Having thus described my invention, I claim:

In a vestibule diaphragm buffer structure for a railway car having an opening at one end, a face plate having an opening therein, said plate being yieldingly supported with capacity for angular and in and out movement relative to the car end; a single fold flexible diaphragm of U- shaped cross section with one edge secured around the top and sides of the opening in the face plate, and the other edge secured around the corresponding portions of the passage opening in the car end; and a pair of means free of connection with each other and respectively aiilxed to the face plate and to the car end, affording rigid bracing surfaces, said surfaces being sloped complementally to the respectively confronting lateral faces of the fold of th diaphragm, and extending continuously across the top and down the sides of the openings in the face plate and in the car end.

ROBERT E. MILLER.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 892,018 Trethewey June 30, 1908 1,095,762 Whitmore May 5, 1914 1,219,673 Schroyer Mar. 20, 1917 

